Judging by the smiles all around on both the MV Faina's Ukrainian crew and the pirates themselves, maybe getting your container ship hijacked in the Gulf of Aden isn't so horrible after all!

Things get a little less lighthearted when you realize that the Faina was filled with Soviet T-72 tanks that may have been bound for the shitstorm that is Southern Sudan. A ransom was parachuted down the Faina's decks in a cargo container (which is the ransom delivery method of choice), and the pirates escaped.

The Saudi oil tanker that has been held by Somali pirates since November was apparently freed after …
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The Big Picture today has this and many, many more photos of Somali pirates, detailing what is one of the more fascinating stories around right now. Even more fascinating when you consider who all is making money from this old-world meets new-world banditry. [Big Picture, image: HO/AFP/Getty Images]